Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The economic downturn and the government's deep cuts to welfare will drive up homelessness over the next few years, raising the spectre of middle class people living on the streets, a major study warns.

The report by the homelessness charity Crisis, seen by the Guardian, says there is a direct link between the downturn and rising homelessness as cuts to services and draconian changes to benefits shred the traditional welfare safety net.

The Orange County Democratic Executive Committee wants the region’s top Democrat to stop arresting anti-poverty activists who feed the homeless.

The Orange County party’s officers passed a resolution Monday night calling on Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to stop enforcing a controversial ordinance that’s led to the arrest of nearly 30 people who handed out food to the homeless at Lake Eola Park.

The resolution asks the same of the six members of the Orlando City Council — Phil Diamond, Sam Ings, Daisy Lynum, Tony Ortiz, Patty Sheehan and Robert Stuart — all but one of whom (Ortiz) are Democrats.

“Whereas, the passage of this ordinance and its enforcement involving arrests may reflect badly on Orlando, internationally. Moreover, adverse publicity about these arrests may significantly hurt the economy and reputation of the City Beautiful,” the resolution reads, in part. “Whereas, as Democrats, we stand firm in our belief in anti-poverty policies and expect our elected officials to do the same.”

The city ordinance requires a permit to feed large groups in downtown parks, and groups are limited to two permits per year, per park. Orlando Food Not Bombs members were arrested after defying the ordinance and sharing food at Lake Eola Park. The first few of those arrested face fines and/or 60 days in jail when they go on trial next week.

After communicating with Suzann for more than six months and observing the Ellingsworth’s ups and frequent downs, it’s obvious that workamping is not all fun and games, at least for those who hit the road in need of a job to survive.

Most workamper jobs are of the minimum-wage variety. Workampers generally don’t receive unemployment insurance benefits, severance pay or any warning that a job is about to end. Workampers face many of the same job insecurity issues as the millions of Americans who have been downsized due to job outsourcing, financial mismanagement and slow consumer demand for products and services, except workampers are purposely more nimble and have been conditioned to pack up and move to where the jobs are. “We have to be mobile to land a job,” said Suzann. Those who become jobless and live in traditional stationary homes aren’t usually able to move to another city on a moment’s notice.

That's just good old American entrepreneurship and pluck. Kind of like the Grapes of Wrath with carpeting. (I'll bet some of them have cell phones too, the lucky duckies.)In fact, if we can get the whole middle class to sign on to this we could beat the global competition all to hell. And it solves the housing crisis!

This isn't getting better. We are going on for years now in an epic slump, with no end in sight. People are still losing their homes and their futures in this thing. And instead of dealing with it seriously, we've got Democrats in Orlando throwing volunteers in jail for giving food to people forced to live on the street and Republicans presidential candidates telling everyone that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional Ponzi Schemes and cutting help for homeless veterans.